01 November 2006

My symbol might be endangered!

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The pink plastic flamingo, an icon that hasbeen reviled as kitschy bad taste and revered as retro cool, is deadat age 49.

The pop-culture symbol met its demise after its manufacturer, UnionProducts, of Leominster, Mass., was socked with a triple economicthreat — increases in costs of electricity and plastic resin combinedwith loss of financing. Production ended in June, and the plant isscheduled to close Nov. 1, according to president and CEO DennisPlante. Union Products made 250,000 of its patented plastic pinkflamingos a year in addition to other garden products.

Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University,paid tribute to the infamous bird that has been immortalizedeverywhere — from the John Waters' movie "Pink Flamingos," to bachelorparties and lawns across America.

"Let's face it," he said. "As iconic emblems of kitsch, there are twopillars of cheesy, campiness in the American pantheon. One is thevelvet Elvis. The other is the pink flamingo."

The birth of the plastic pink flamingo in 1957 coincided with thebooming interest in Florida, Thompson said, making it possible forthose in other parts of the country to have a little piece of theSunshine State's mystique in their yard.

By the late '70s, according to Thompson, the pink flamingo became asymbol of bad taste. It was considered trash culture and embraced byfolks with a wise-guy attitude. They knew better (wink, wink) butembraced the iconic symbol anyway.

By the late '80s and early '90s, he said we learned to make fun ofpop-culture items such as the pink flamingo as well as appreciatethem.

"The pink flamingo has gone from a piece of the Florida boom andFlorida exotica to being a symbol of trash culture to now becoming acombination of all we know — kitsch, history, simplicity andelegance," Thompson said.

Plante is hoping for a resurrection. Plante has been seeking anothercompany to buy the molds. So far, two companies in the United Statesand one in Canada have expressed interest.